PEDIATRIC REHABILITATION AWARD LECTURE: Mild TBI in Children and Adolescents: Causes, Diagnosis, Management, and Outcomes

Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI) in children and adolescents has recently received heightened attention due to increasing rates of emergency department visits and emerging evidence that this common injury can lead to impact on academics, behavioral changes and neurocognitive deficits. In 2018 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published a guideline on the diagnosis and management of mTBI among children and adolescents. The guideline was based on a systematic review of the literature and aimed to identify the best practices for mTBI based on the current evidence. This talk will present insights on mTBI diagnosis and management from the guideline across the pediatric lifespan and cover causes of this injury, best practices for return to activities and school post-injury, as well as what is currently known about outcomes following mTBI. Dr. Haarbauer-Krupa has over 30 years of experience in the area of traumatic brain injury and will share her insights on the changes in taking care of children and adolescents with TBI from her experience in the field.